Magnetic clutch.



A. W WHlTCOMB,

MAGNETIS CLUTCH.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 22. WM

A. W WHETCOMB.

MAGNE'HC cuncn.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 22, Hill. 1 139 QO5 v Patented May 11, 1915,

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MAGNETIC CLUTGH.

j Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May d2, 1911. Serial No. 628,607.

To all whom it may concern: a

Be it known that I, ALoNzo V]; Wind'- corus, a citizen of the United states, residing at Worcester, in the county of orcester and Commonwealth of ldassachusetts, have n'v-lde alneiv and useful Invention. in Magnetic Clutches, of which the following is specification accompanied by drawings, forming a part of the same.

llhe object of my present invention is to provide a clutch in which the clutch mem- 1 bers may be engaged and disengaged v through'the direct agency of an electromag net by the opening and closing ofan electric circuit, and I accomplish this obyect by the construction and arrangementof parts as hereinafter described and pointed out in the annexed claims.

In the accompanying drawings I have represented a clutch of the typeknown a friction clutch, and embodying my present invention in what I deem a preferable form.

pt-eferring to the drawings, Figure 1 represents a clutch embodying my invention in diainetrical sectional view. Figs. 2 and 3 are detached views of the intermediate,triction rings, and Fi at to 6, inclusive, reprcsent modified forms of construction of a clutch embodying certain features of my invention. 2

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts in the different views.

Referring to Fig. lot the drawings, 1 denotes a rotatable shaft to which the collars 2 and 3 are attached. Carried by the shaft 1 is a risk t provided wits a hub 5 which is attached to the shaft 1, and a peripheral flange 6 having an annular chan'i-b'er 7 in closed between the hub 5 and the flange 5.

T he annular chamber 7 is open upon one side andincloses a coil of wire 8, hav ing its-oppos te ends connected with the- 'r1ngs-9Ian'd 10 carried upon the collar 2 and revolving'in contact vith' thebrushes 1'1 and 12, forming part of an electricv circuit controlled by a switch lever of a rheos'tatic control," When the electric circuit closed througrlrthecoil of Wire 8,",- the peripheral flange .(3 becomes ma pgnet capable o f eozerlting tractionnp'on'i a 'agnetio'fiiel arim tuel the of tami g ,l o'o'sely: on the shaft 1 and ,no'r- 1r ally held Within}the' ,-i'nagneticfield means of the collar 3 Theperipheialflange an electro-' a magnetic an n 1 afrmat are ;bron'ght Wi thin Lin the present-instance onsists of a "pulley capable 6 is provided with a series of disks provided with stems 16inserted in the flange 6. Similar disks 1'? are carried by the armatnre 14: and held in place y stems 18 (enter ing holes in the armature. The disks 15 are contained in holes in an annular plate-19 of brass or other nonmagnetic material, and the disks 17 are similarly contained. in holes in an annular plate 20 of brass or other nonmagnetic material. lnserted betwen the disks l5 and 17 and the nonmagnetic plates 19 and 20 are disks 21 and 22 of iron or other magnetic material, said disks 21 and 22 being inclosed in the, annular vplates and'Q-l of brass or other nonmagnetic mate rial. The plate 23 with the disks 21 inclosed therein, isshown in detached view in Fig. 2, and is provided on its outer periphery With the projections 25'Which inserted in grooves in an annular sleeve 26, at tached to the armature i l by screws 27,023 15 ing the plate and disks Alto be connected with the armature Ll to rotate therewith; The annulaif'platc 21 with the disks inclosed therein, is shown in detached view in Fig. 3, and is providedon its inner side with the projections 28' which engagegrooves in an annular sleeve 29, attached to the periph eral flange 6 by screws 30 by which the plate and disks 22 are connected ith,tlni-iiangev I G'to rotate therewith. In the operation of my magnetic clutch in the formshown in Fig. 1,-rotary 'motion is iimpartedthrough the shaft 1 to the disk 4 Patented May 111, rein the rotative movement of the magnet to be imparted: to, the zn'inatureM', from-which power can be transferred thy 'anysuitable I mcans,:such as a Wrapping connection with the face o'i tlre arn'iatnrc. The several disks 15, 17,2laiid constitute indiyi'dual opposfling magnetic faces, eaclrsurrounded by on .inan'net icmaterial. Until the arn'nature volves v at the same, speed as the: magnets sksif- .iedfl ,While the slipping action h airies .iy mov ng over; the

slipping action 'Willjoccur between the carried, b'vijthe magnet and the; iris car vthe arn'ia'ture; continues.veaichiot 'tlre' d it's electr iagnet and constitu series of disks 1.?

tore, Mag'netic force is thereby applied to draw the armature directly toward the net and also to impart a rotative movement to the armature. This result l have found to be due to the spacing of the disks one from the other, providing short gaps between the magnetic faces of both the electromagnet and the armature. By filling the spaces with a nonmagnetic material, such as brass, electric currents are induced by the slipping of the disks past each other which increases the power of the electromagnet. 1 further confine the lines of magnetic force passing through the armature ll. to the magnetic disks which are brought into alinement by means of the nonmagnetic plates already mentioned, and also by the inclosing nonmagnetic sleeves 26 and 29. While Ii consider the construction shown in Fig. 1 an etlicient embodiment of my present inven tion, I have shown. in Figs. l to 6 inclusive, certain modifications in which independent features of my invention are separately bodied.

In Fig. l the electromagnet comprises a disk i, a. hub 5 by which it is attached to a rotating shaft 1, and a peripheral flange 6 inclosing between the flange 6 and. hub the wire coil 8. The flange 6 is provided with a series of disks provided with Stone 16, and the armature 14 is provided with it having stems 18, the concentric rows of disks 15 and 17 being inclosed in annular plates 19 and 2-0 correspending to the same parts as shown in. Fig. l. The annular plates 23 and 24 with their disks 21 and 22, shown in Figs. 2 and 3, and the sleeves 26 and 29, all shown in Fig, 1, are omitted in Fig. 4-1

In Fig. 5 I have shown insectional View the clutch represented in elevation in 6, in which the armature 14 is provided with a concentric flange 37. The flange 3? OPPOSQS the flange (i the electromagnet. The flanges t and. 3? are provided with gaps or air spaces 38, 39, forming between them opposing magnetic faces 40 on the electromagnet and L1 on the armature. As the magnetic faces 40 are rotated a magnetic attraction is exerted upon the armature 1'4: in addition rotative force is applied to the armature, whenever a slipping action occurs between the faces 4-0 and 41. I

In the forms of clutches represented in the accompanying drawings the electromagnet is made the driving member and the armature the driven member but these conditions may obviously be reversed.

By means of the collar 3 the armature is .s normally held within the .tield. of .romagnet but in suti position as t1;

tree siij'ipiu of frictional or vi faces except when the electroinagnet is enei i claii l. A magnetic clutch comprising two opposing clutching members, one of said members consisting of an electroniagnet and the other of said members consisting of an armature therefor each of said members having an annulanserics of spaced frictional surfaces, with the spaces filled with nonmagnetic metal.

9. A magnetic clutch comprising two rotatable clutchingmembers, each member having a concentric series of frictional ma netizahle surfaces about its axis, said two series oi surfaces arranged in opposed relation and each surface in each series beii'ig surrounded by nonmagnetic material, and means for magnetically energizing one of said clutching members at will.

3. A magnetic clutch, comprising two r0- tatablc clutching members, consisting of an ciectroinagnet and an armature therefor, annular plates of nonmagnetic material interposed between said members, and a series of plates of magnetic i'naterial inserted in said nonmagnetic plates.

i. A magnetic clutch comprising two opposinp; clutching" members, one of said meniconsisting of an electromagnet and the r said inen'ibersconsisting of an armatherefor, each of said members being ro idcd with a concentric series (it spaced frictional ma netizable surfaces, the two concentric SBITL, of surfaces being engage able with each other.

5. A. magnetic clutch, comprising two rotatable members consisting of an electro-.

magnet and an armature therefor, means for as or magnetic l their edges surrounded by nonmagnetic metal, a. series of magnetic plates carried by nature having; their edges snrroundnonmagnetic metal, annular plates of so. by

nonma netic metal inter osed between said series of magnetic plates and. provided with a series of spaced. magnetic plates exposed nposite sides of said annular plates, at e of nonmagnetic metal carried by one of he rotatable members, a second sleeve of nonmagnetic metal carried by the other rotatahle member, said'sleeves overlapping said annular plates and alternately connected therewith by spline connections.

ALGNZEZO 'W. WHITCOMB.

lly holding said armature within the v ic field, means for oi'ierg zing said s carried by said electroinagnet having 

